# Lowater Limited (03827032)

> Why UK company 03827032 went into administration, from the administrators' statement filed at Companies House, by companydig. Interactive version: https://companydig.co.uk/company/03827032

- **Status:** Administration ended
- **Administration began:** 2022-10-03
- **Administrators:** Nigel Ian Fox, Gregory Andrew Palfrey
- **Administrators' firm:** Evelyn Partners
- **Incorporated:** 1999-08-17
- **Location:** Southampton
- **Industry:** 46220 Wholesale of flowers and plants

## Why it went into administration

- COVID-19
- Rising costs / inflation
- Sustained trading losses
- Weather / natural events

## From the administrators' statement

Lowater Limited started trading in December 1999, continuing the Lowaters Nursery business that had been trading from the Hook Lane site since the mid 1960's. Lowaters Nursery initially grew strawberries then glasshouse tomatoes and since the mid 1980's hardy garden plants. ln the most recent years the hardy garden plants were sold to UK garden centres via its sales office staff and sales agents and direct to the public via the online plant centre Garden Beauty.

Turnover prior to Covid was circa £1.2m equating to roughly 300,000 plants being grown each year resulting ina small profit. In 2019 a customer indicated that they wished to increase the number purchased from the Company and production was increased to 500,000 plants.

As aresult of the pandemic in early 2020 garden centres, retail nurseries and visitor venues had to close, which coincided with the period where the business had most of its stock ready for sale. As well as the impact on sales, significant additional costs were incurred in looking after plants so that they were reacly for sale when trading recommenced. The online business did expand initially whilst the closures were in place, but slowly dropped back. As aresult of these factors the Company incurred a loss of £80k in 2020.

Statement of proposals: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/03827032/filing-history/MzM1ODkzNDA4NWFkaXF6a2N4/document?format=pdf&download=0
Companies House register: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/03827032

Contains public sector information from Companies House, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.